Tactical Skills Foundations
•Year 3
•Hockey
•Check stick length is appropriate - should reach students' hip when standing upright
Alternative: Pool noodles or tennis rackets for beginners
Balls should be regulation weight but softer versions acceptable for Year 3
Alternative: Tennis balls or bean bags for safety modification
Bright coloured cones for visibility, check for damage before use
Alternative: Throw-down spots or rope to mark areas
Goals should be approximately 1.5m wide for this age group
Alternative: Cone goals or marked areas on walls
Goals should be approximately 3m wide for adequate challenge
Alternative: Extended cone goals or marked wall areas
Different colours for each team in game situations
Alternative: Coloured bands or wristbands
Hitting the ball to an empty area where a teammate can run to collect it
Next to or immediately beside something
Making good use of an opportunity or advantage
The power and speed put into a pass to make it reach the right place at the right time
Understanding where to move and when to help your team
Understanding where pupils are coming from and where they're going
Technical vocabulary development, communication skills, following and giving instructions
Understanding adjacent squares, counting successful passes, measuring distances for different weighted passes
Forces and motion in ball travel, physics of trajectory and weight, body movement and coordination
Spatial awareness, direction and orientation, mapping movement patterns across areas
Teamwork and collaboration, resilience when facing challenges, fair play and sportsmanship
Move around the outside of activity areas to maintain full visibility, position near goal areas during games
Watch for correct passing technique, spatial awareness development, and safe stick handling throughout
Step in if students struggle with space identification, safety becomes compromised, or individuals become frustrated
Use slow-motion demonstrations for complex skills, exaggerate movements for visibility, involve students in demonstrations when safe
Minimum 30m x 20m clear space, adaptable to indoor hall or outdoor pitch
Dry, even surface free from obstacles, check for holes or dangerous equipment
Stop activity immediately, assess situation, provide appropriate first aid/support, notify school procedures as required
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